Police to investigate PM’s office

The Australian Federal Police yesterday reversed a decision not to investigate the events leading up to the Australia Day security incident in Canberra in which Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
was forced to flee protesters from the Aboriginal tent embassy.

The decision, which will include looking at the role of Ms Gillard’s former media adviser, Tony Hodges, was taken after shadow Attorney-General
George Brandis
, SC, yesterday wrote to AFP commissioner Tony Negus and claimed a possible cover-up by the Prime Minister’s office.

Key independent MPs rebuffed a possible opposition parliamentary censure motion over the incident, sparked after Mr Hodges disclosed the whereabouts of Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott
to a third party who passed it on to protesters.

Senator Brandis has requested a full investigation covering the circumstances leading to the incident, and the conduct of those involved immediately afterwards, given the “gravity of the security breach". He cited offences that may have been committed including incitement, affray and causing harm to a public officer.

“We are suspicious of a cover-up," Senator Brandis said on releasing the letter. “We don’t know if a crime has been committed but there seems to be a body of material that makes that distinctly possible."

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After saying earlier in the day it would not investigate the incident, last night the AFP confirmed the matters raised by Senator Brandis were under evaluation.

“We can confirm that the AFP is currently investigating events relating to the public order of protesters on Australia Day," an AFP spokesperson said. “As this is an ongoing investigation it is therefore not appropriate to comment any further."

The opposition is understood to be considering a no-confidence motion against the government following Mr Hodges’ resignation.

Tasmanian independent MP
Andrew Wilkie
said he would probably support a suspension of standing orders to debate a no-confidence motion. But NSW independents
Tony Windsor
and
Rob Oakeshott
immediately poured cold water on a suspension motion.

Under parliamentary rules, the Coalition would need to get an absolute majority – 76 votes out of 150 – to suspend standing orders before bringing a motion of no confidence in the government and would require both NSW independent MPs votes.

Mr Oakeshott told The Australian Financial Review he would not support a suspension motion because there were other parliamentary procedures to allow debate of such issues.

He said the controversy was overshadowing issues of indigenous employment, education and constitutional change.

“If the Opposition or any other members want to debate a particular issues there are enough formats that do that and it should not be done at the expense of other issues, which get punted as a consequence," Mr Oakeshott said.

“It is both frustrating and sad at many levels and I don’t think anyone involved has come out with clean hands on this issue."

Mr Windsor said he had not been briefed on the issue and would consider the matter if it arose in parliament.

“If and when something comes up in parliament, I’ll get all the facts but in the meantime I am getting on with more important work," Mr Windsor said.

Mr Wilkie, who withdrew his support for the minority government after it broke its promise to him on poker machine reform, said the events on Australia Day were “appalling" and there were many unanswered questions.

“I find it almost inconceivable that the Prime Minister’s media adviser acted independently," he said.

“If the opposition was to move a no-confidence motion over this, I would probably support a suspension of standing orders to debate the matter, subject of course to the exact wording of the motion."

However, he said he continued to believe that the parliament should run its full term and he would only support motions of no-confidence “in the event of serious misconduct and not support politically opportunistic motions".

Greens MP Adam Bandt said Mr Abbott should focus on Aboriginal disadvantage not political point scoring.

“This is a classic example of process and spin over substance," Mr Bandt said.

“A staff member in the Prime Minister’s office has done the wrong thing and paid a price for it. It’s time for parliament and the country to now focus on the important issues."